Method and apparatus for computer modified magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

A device is presented including a medical device adapted to be inserted in an anatomy. The medical device has many target markers. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system will not detect or will disregard the medical device as noise without information obtained on the plurality of target markers prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy. Also presented a method including inserting a medical device into an anatomy. The medical device has many target markers. Scanning a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the anatomy. Processing the scanned image by a MRI processor connected to a memory. Determining a location and orientation of the medical device in relation to the anatomy based on the target markers. And displaying a precise image of the medical device within the anatomy. The medical device is not detectable or disregardable as noise for MRI systems.

1. A system comprising:
 a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) processor, the processor including an MRI low-level signal detection process stored in a memory; 
 a MRI scanner coupled to the processor; 
 a control unit coupled to the processor; 
 a display coupled to the processor; and 
 a medical device adapted to insert into an anatomy, the medical device having a plurality of target markers, wherein geometric information for the plurality of target markers is stored in the memory prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy, and wherein MRI signals of the plurality of target markers within the anatomy are not detectable or are disregardable as noise for the system (a) without the MRI low-level signal detection process and (b) without using the stored geometric information of the plurality of target markers prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy to lower an MRI signal detection threshold. 
 
   
   
     2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pre-scanning device coupled to the processor. 
   
   
     3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the pre-scanning device is to transmit at least one of a plurality of geometric data, a plurality of image data, a plurality of geometric data and a plurality of image data of the medical device and the plurality of target markers to the processor. 
   
   
     4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of target markers comprise at least one of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic material. 
   
   
     5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein MRI signals of the plurality of target markers are disregarded by the system operating between 0.2 and 5.0 Tesla. 
   
   
     6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the medical device is one of a fluid delivering catheter, a stent delivering device, a photographic device and a balloon catheter. 
   
   
     7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the medical device comprises a polymer material. 
   
   
     8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the medical device is expandable. 
   
   
     9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein an orientation and a location of the medical device in relation to the anatomy is determinable based on a location of the plurality of target markers. 
   
   
     10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein an image of the medical device is superimposed on an image of the anatomy, the superimposed image having the same orientation and location that the medical device has within the anatomy. 
   
   
     11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of pixels of the medical device replace a plurality of pixels of an image of the anatomy at a same location that the medical device is located within the anatomy, the plurality of pixels of the medical device having the same orientation that the medical device has within the anatomy. 
   
   
     12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores one of a plurality of geometric data, a plurality of image data, and a plurality of geometric data and a plurality of image data of the medical device. 
   
   
     13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the MRI low-level signal detection process adjusts the signal detection threshold to detect a low-level MRI signal produced from the target markers. 
   
   
     14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein a non-adjusted signal threshold will one of disregard or fail to detect the low-level MRI signal produced from the target markers. 
   
   
     15. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the MRI low-level signal detection process determines to recognize low-level MRI signals returned from the target markers upon a match from a comparison of known geometric data from the target markers with returned low-level MRI signals. 
   
   
     16. A method comprising:
 inserting a medical device into an anatomy, the medical device having a plurality of target markers; 
 storing information for the medical device and the plurality of target markers in a memory prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy; 
 scanning a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the anatomy; 
 processing the scanned image by a MRI processor coupled to the memory; 
 determining a location and orientation of the medical device inserted in the anatomy in relation to the anatomy based on the plurality of target markers; and 
 displaying an image of the medical device within the anatomy, including superimposing the medical device on the anatomy using the information for the medical device stored in the memory prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy. 
 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 pre-scanning the medical device before inserting the medical device into the anatomy; and 
 transmitting one of a plurality of geometric data, a plurality of image data, or a plurality of geometric data and a plurality of image data of the medical device and the plurality of target markers to the MRI processor. 
 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of target markers comprise at least one of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic material. 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein MRI signals of the plurality of target markers are one of not detectable and disregarded by an MRI system operating between 0.2 and 5.0 Tesla. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the medical device is one of a fluid delivering catheter, a stent delivering device, a photographic device and a balloon catheter. 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the medical device comprises a polymer material. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the medical device is expandable. 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 16 , further including superimposing a stored image of the medical device over an image of the anatomy, the superimposed image having the same orientation and location that the medical device has within the anatomy. 
   
   
     24. The method of  claim 16 , further including replacing a plurality of pixels of an image of the anatomy with a plurality of pixels of the medical device at the same location that the medical device is located within the anatomy, the plurality of pixels of the medical device having the same orientation that the medical device has within the anatomy. 
   
   
     25. The method of  claim 16 , wherein, prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy, the memory stores one of a plurality of geometric data, a plurality of image data, and a plurality of geometric data and a plurality of image data of the medical device and the plurality of target markers. 
   
   
     26. The method of  claim 16 , wherein processing the scanned image further includes:
 adjusting a signal detection threshold to detect low-level MRI signals produced from the plurality of target markers, wherein if the signal detection threshold is unadjusted the low-level MRI signals produced from the plurality of target markers will be disregarded. 
 
   
   
     27. An apparatus comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, cause the MRI system to perform operations comprising:
 storing geometric information for a plurality of target markers of a medical device in a memory prior to insertion of the medical device into an anatomy; 
 scanning a magnetic resonance image of the anatomy with the medical device inserted into the anatomy; 
 processing the scanned image by a MRI processor coupled to the memory, the MRI processor having an MRI low-level signal detection process; 
 determining a location and orientation of the medical device in relation to the anatomy based on the geometric information of the plurality of target markers; and 
 displaying an image of the medical device within the anatomy, wherein MRI signals of the plurality of target markers within the anatomy are undetectable or disregardable as noise for the MRI system without using the stored geometric information of the plurality of target markers prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy to lower an MRI signal detection threshold. 
 
   
   
     28. The apparatus of  claim 27 , further containing instructions which, when executed by the MRI system, cause the MRI system to perform operations including:
 pre-scanning the medical device before the medical device is inserted in the anatomy; 
 transmitting one of a plurality of geometric data, a plurality of image data, and a plurality of geometric data and a plurality of image data of the medical device and the plurality of target markers to the MRI processor; and 
 withdrawing the medical device from the anatomy at a dynamically adjusted pace. 
 
   
   
     29. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the plurality of target markers comprise at least one of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic material. 
   
   
     30. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the MRI signals of the plurality of target markers are one of not detectable and disregarded by the MRI system operating between 0.2 and 5.0 Tesla. 
   
   
     31. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the medical device is one of a fluid delivering catheter, a stent delivering device, a photographic device and a balloon catheter. 
   
   
     32. The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the medical device comprises a polymer material. 
   
   
     33. The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the medical device is expandable. 
   
   
     34. The apparatus of  claim 27 , further containing instructions which, when executed by the MRI system, cause the MRI system to perform operations including:
 superimposing an image of the medical device over an image of the anatomy, the superimposed image has the same location and orientation that the medical device has within the anatomy. 
 
   
   
     35. The apparatus of  claim 27 , further containing instructions which, when executed by the MRI system, cause the machine MRI system to perform operations including:
 replacing a plurality of pixels of an image of the anatomy with a plurality of pixels of the medical device, the plurality of pixels of the medical device having the same location and orientation that the medical device has within the anatomy. 
 
   
   
     36. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the memory stores one of a plurality of geometric data, a plurality of image data, and a plurality of geometric data and a plurality of image data of the medical device. 
   
   
     37. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the MRI low-level signal detection process adjusts the signal detection threshold to detect a low-level MRI signal produced from the target markers. 
   
   
     38. An apparatus comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a MRI system, cause the MRI system to perform operations comprising:
 storing geometric information for a medical device and a plurality of target markers of a medical device in a memory prior to insertion of the medical device into an anatomy; 
 scanning a magnetic resonance image of the anatomy with the medical device inserted; 
 processing the scanned image by a MRI processor coupled to the memory, the MRI processor having an MRI low-level signal detection process; 
 determining a location and orientation of the medical device in relation to the anatomy based on detection of the plurality of target markers in relation to the medical device and each of the plurality of target markers; and 
 displaying an image of the medical device within the anatomy, wherein MRI signals of the plurality of target markers within the anatomy are undetectable or disregardable as noise for the MRI system without the MRI low-level signal detection process and without using the geometric information of the plurality of target markers to lower an MRI signal detection threshold. 
 
   
   
     39. The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the MRI low-level signal detection process adjusts the signal detection threshold to detect a low-level MRI signal produced from the plurality of target markers. 
   
   
     40. A system comprising:
 a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) processor, the processor including an MRI low-level signal detection process stored in a memory; 
 a MRI scanner coupled to the processor; 
 a control unit coupled to the processor; 
 a display coupled to the processor; and 
 a medical device to insert into an anatomy, the medical device having a plurality of target markers, wherein geometric information for the plurality of target markers is stored in the memory prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy, and wherein MRI signals of the plurality of target markers within the anatomy are undetectable or disregardable as noise for an MRI system without the MRI low-level signal detection process and without using the stored geometric information of the plurality of target markers to lower an MRI signal detection threshold, and wherein the system is to use the geometric information of the plurality of target markers to determine location and orientation of the medical device in relation to the anatomy. 
 
   
   
     41. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the MRI low-level signal detection process adjusts the signal detection threshold to detect a low-level MRI signal produced from the target markers. 
   
   
     42. The system of  claim 41 , wherein geometric information of the medical device and a position of the detected plurality of target markers are used to display an image of the medical device superimposed on an image of the anatomy, the image representative of the actual location and orientation of the medical device in the anatomy.